Hen&#39;s nest



`J. BURRI HENS NEsT DecQzz, 1931.

Filed Nov. 4, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY vDec. 22, 1931. l J. BURRI 1,837,528

HENs NEST Filed Nov. 4, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY 2(6) provided with a Patented Dec. 272, 1931 UNITE stares Jonnnusnr, or cUnTrs, wasiimeroiv HENS NEsT Application filed November 4,1929. YSerfiaI No. 404,718.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in-nests for poultry and the like' and which embodies among other characteristics means whereby eggs will be automatically discharged from the nest upon the occasionof the hens leavinglsame.

Another object of the invention contemplates the provision and arrangement of j means Whereby'the setting hens may remain within the nests undisturbed by other hens desiring to enter the same nest. A

"An additional object of the invention comprehends a form of catch or fall breaker for the eggs to prevent breaking of the egg shells during the discharge operation.

' An additional object of the invention consists of a looking mechanism whereby the nests may be utilized as trap nests. Y Y

More specically stated the nests are to be collecting mechanism whereby all of the eggs may be gathered at once from a common point.

1 `With the above and other objects in view,V

c the invention further consists of the followa5 ing novel features and details of construction,`

to be hereinafter vmore fully described, illustrated 'in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended'claims.

. "In the drawings f Figurel is a fragmentary top plan view ofmy form of nest construction. Y

Figure 2 isa plan view illustrative of a floor plan-arrangement' of nests within ya hen-house. i

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 344-3 ofFigure 1.`

Figure 4f is av vertical sectional view taken on linev 4&-4 of Figure 3. f Figure 5 is a perspective view of the modified form of nest closure.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view of a locking mechanism for the form of closure when the invention is to be employed as a trap nest. Figure 7 is a fragmentary front elevation of the Figure 6 locking mechanism.

AsV substantiated from the illustrations of my invention in Figures 1, 2 and 4 ofthe drawings, it is quite obvious that it is my intention to arrange nests of this character in r570 series orto 'line the walls of ahen-house in the manner suggested in Figure 2. VFor this reason, a base plate 10` of elongated formation may be suflicient in length to provide the bottoms for a succession of nests. Partition walls 11, carried by and upstanding from @the upper sideof the base plate 10,'def1necompartments or nests therebetween. i The rear walls 12for the nest compartmentsrare hingedly mounted adjacent their lower edges, as at 13, to the base 10 and detachably connected through the instrumentality of. latch members with av stationary strip 15, which in Y j Rod members 18, carried by and horizontally disposed between the partitions 11, are pro-- yjected within slots or cut-out portions 19 in the flanges 17 'whereby the closures or lids 16 may swing upon the rods 18 to occupy the full and dotted lineV positions shown in Figure 8 of the drawings. f i g c A weight bar or strip, such as indicated at 20, .arranged between'the side ianges 17 and adjacent the innermostvproj ecting end ofthe closure or lid 16, normallyrdisposes the clof sure or lid 16 in thefull lineFigure 3 position. A front wall 21, .angularly `disposed upon the foremost proj ecting edge-of the clo.- sure or lid 16 depends for appreciable distances therefrom, and isdesigned for seating engagement with therupper surface of bridge or stop plate 22. The latteri having connection at their ends with the adjacent sides of the partitions 11. The bridge pieces 22 are disposed in positions elevated from the uppersurfaces of the base plate 10. Screen j frames 23, having pipe clamps or other forms I of bearings 24, provide the means'for rockingly mounting saidframes upon bar members 25.

Curved complemental arms 26, having'attaching portionsf27 secured to the flanges 17 j for the closures or lids 16 and upon theside rails of the screen frames 23 respectively,- are adapted to dispose the curved extremities thereof for overlapping-.frictional engagement.' When av hen ,jumps from the lbridge Aas piece or bar 22 upon theV screen frame 23, her weight, being wholly directed to one-side of the eccentric pivot connection for the frame, will shift said frame to occupy the Figure 3 dotted line position.

The curved arms, carriedby the frame and engaging the"` complemental arms upon the closure orlid, will in turn force the, latter into closed vposition whereby the hen will` be un-` disturbed by other' hens while setting. The hen, upon leaving the nest, and removing'her weight from the frame 23, will allow. the trame and closure lid to again occupytheiry respective full line positions and the egg laid by the hen will roll down over the mesh wire of'theframe butv its Jfall will be broken vby a curtain 28` depending from the inner. edge of the bridge piece 22 within the nest proper.

The forwardly shifting swingingVY movement of the screen'prames 23 are restricted by'an upstanding wall 29 which fin conjunction with ythe. .front wall 21 and'bridge piece 22 will. close the entire front ofthe nest. A wallmem'ber 30, extending upwardlyfor an appreciable .distance above the upstanding' wall29and in spaced parallelism therewith, carries abumper 31 of strip like formation upon'the inner side thereof and which may be composed yeither of felt or rubber to prevent cracking of the egg shell when directed thereagain'st. 1 Roller members 32, having the ends thereof ournaled between the upstanding -wall 29'and wall member 30, carry` and operateian endless belt 38 forming a 'conveyor for .35

theaeggs from a series or succession of nests `to acommon` point fwhere the `latter are gathered. t y A v v K 'Crank` arms; 34, carried `uponV thel roller members 32 andprojected-exteriorly of the wall ymembers V8O, providev the Voperating means for the endless conveyor.V Asshown in. EiguresS-anda of the drawings, the end- V less belt or conveyor carries a multiplicity otA blocks orstripsz horizontally disposed vat spaced v`intervals thereon whereby retrograde movement of the eggsl along thefbelt while the latterjisin operationjwillbe prevented i and cracking'rof the eggs, incident toene-egg V'rollingv againstthe other, will -beV obviated.

Doors 36,-hingedly mounted uponr the wall members 30, permit inspection Vof the'endless conveyor immediately adjacent each of the screen frames 23A in order that the individual egg laying records of the hens maybe tabulated. f

tegralparts thereof. Theside flanges are also formed in one piece with the modiiied form of closure lid and are slotted after the manner of the flanges 17 but do not accommodate the vrodmcrnbers 18 in like manner in Aview-of the fact thatears, indicatedasv at 37,

accommodate the egg.

veyes 38 to bepassed around and aboutthe adjacent portions of the rod member. jv The rods will therefore be arranged above the closure lids and oiling of the bearing connections will be facilitated without incurring Ythe v:removal of the cl'osurelid'. l Y Y t Inrlfigures 6 and 7 of the drawings, I have shown in the right angularly disposed views the manner Y in which the invention maybe used for trapping the hens after they have entered the nests. The locking connections may be readily applied upon both forms of closure lids in the following manner. Strike plates 39,7carried` uponthe upper surfaces of the bridge plates 22. andspaced at their ends of the forms of front walls,l forgthe particular type of closure lid, will facilitate thev po-l et() therebetween when the latterdescends fromV its eccentric pivotconnection. The latch fingers are preferably located upon lthe front walls of the closure lids. By. swingfrom they adjacent outersurfaces of either sitioning of` the longerend. of a latch finger ing the latch` ngerselOy to occupy the Adotted line position shownin Figure 7 of the drawings, the nests-'may be automatically opened in theconventional manner, particular-ly desirous when the hens leave the nests.

By arranging the crank handles orfthe rollers of the endless conveyors in the manner shown in V,Figure 2 of. the drawings, the poultryman may gather or otherwise collect the eggs from the middle ofthe henhouse between the spaced lends of adjacent ,series of nests. t y v rllhe invention is susceptible ot various changes in its form, proportions and. minor details of construction, andthe right` isherely fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Havingy thus described the invention, what is claimed is .Y

1. A poultrynest comprising a base y.plate with the adjacent portionoffthe front` wall vwhen the latter isl swung in closed position,

acurtain carried by and dependingfromthe forwardly upon the screen .frame subsequent tothe leaving of the fowl andthe elevation of the frame, andA a conveyor` located adjacent the forwardly inclinedl endof the Yframe to l V2. A poultry. nest compris'ng a base/plate having. upstanding spaced Vparallelpartition walls, t a: screen frameA swingablyQmOllntedbGf yin reserved to make such changes as .-prop'erhaving upstanding spaced parallel partition l iis bridge piece to break the fall of. eggsfrollingV tween said walls and above the base plate, a closure lid carrying the nest front wall being tiltably mounted an appreciable distance above said frame, a bridge piece carried between the partition walls and engageable with the adjacent portion of the forward wall when the latter is swung in closed position, complemental arm members carried by and projecting from the adjacent sides of the frame and closure lid in oppositely disposed relation being designed for overlapping fric-V tional engagement to automatically open and close the nest when the latter is open and in use, a curtain carried by and depending Y from the bridge piece to break the fall of eggs rolling forwardly upon the screen frame subsequent to the leaving of the fowl and the elevation of the frame, and a conveyor located adjacent the forwardly inclined end of the frame to accommodate the egg.

8. A poultry nest comprising a base plate having upstanding spaced parallel partition walls, a screen frame swingably mounted between said walls and above the base plate, a closure lid carrying the nest front wall being tiltably mounted an appreciable distance above said frame, a bridge piece carried between the partition walls and engageable Y with the adjacent portion of the front wall when the latter is swung in closed position, a curtain carried by and depending from the bridge piece to break the fall of eggs rolling forwardly upon the screen frame subsequent to the leaving of the fowl andthe elevation of the frame, a conveyor located adjacent the forwardly inclined end `of the frame to accommodate the egg, and means carried by the bridge piece and front wall to lockingly retain the latter against displacement subsequent to the entry of aV fowl.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature. JOHN BURRI. 

